Clenching & Grinding

Do you often wake up with a painful jaw, sore shoulders, or a back pain?

You could probably be suffering from what is known as "Bruxism"

Bruxism is the term used to describe jaw clenching & grinding. You could be doing this in the day or more commonly at night while sleeping.

How does it impact your health?

Bruxism can impact your oral as well as overall health.

Some of the oral health impacts are:

Shortened appearance of teeth as the enamel layer wears off over time.
Wearing away of the enamel causes problems of sensitivity, leading to the need of root canals and crowns.
It can also change the appearance of your face as the jaws become more short & squarish.
Gums also get affected eventually leading to periodontal issues like loose teeth.
The chewing muscles get fatigued and sore.

Other impacts on general health may be :

Constant migraines, headaches, a feeling of tiredness after waking up.
Shoulder and back pain.
Ear problems
All the above will eventually deteriorate your productivity at work and home.

Treating Bruxism :

Once diagnosed, treating bruxism is not very difficult.

Symptomatic treatment includes use of hot fermentation over the jaws and NOn Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs.
In acute cases low dose muscle relaxants may also be prescribed
Muscle relaxation through use of lasers.
Wearing a mouth guard/ bruxism splint while sleeping can significantly reduce the effects of bruxism.
Bruxism is usually stress related. Work on reducing stress levels before bedtime by reading a good book or writing down positive thoughts.
Botox is directly injected into the masseter muscle (the large muscle that moves the jaw), the muscle is weakened enough to stop involuntary grinding of the teeth and clenching of the jaw. This significantly relaxes the muscle and reduces the wear and tear on the teeth due to grinding.

Do not live with this! For a proper diagnosis, visit your dentist to understand how you can control this habit and treat the damage done. We at the Dental HQ take a 3D scan of our bruxer patients teeth and follow up over months to track their progress.